GymRat Challenge returns this weekend

One of the premier tournaments in North America and the largest of its kind on the East Coast, the GymRat Challenge, hits the hardwood courts at UAlbany's SEFCU Arena, Union College, the Pat Riley Sports Complex in Schenectady, Skidmore and the Saratoga Recreation Center. Games begin Saturday at 8 a.m. and run until 10:30 p.m. before picking back up on Sunday at 8 a.m. to the early evening.

"It's an opportunity for local basketball fans who just like to go out and watch good basketball," Tournament Spokesman Steve Amedio said.

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Each team has a chance to qualify for the championship round with three pool play games. The prices are $10 for the day and $15 for both days which allows you to watch games at any of the tournament's seven venues at anytime.

17 Capital Region-based teams with around 170 local participants will help comprise roughly 270 teams from 10 states. The Tournament expanded for this weekend to include six different age brackets ranging from 12-under to 17-under.

A number of current major Division I basketball players competed in the Challenge within the last few seasons along with a majority of the Siena College men's basketball roster in addition to a handful of first round NBA draft picks.

Some of those names include Kenneth Faried of the Denver Nuggets, National Champion Cole Aldrich (Kentucky), Shabazz Napier, a junior at UConn, former No. 1 draft picks Emeka Okafor and Michael Beasley.

"You get to see a lot of basketball and a lot of good players. It's a pretty impressive list," Amedio said, noting that 30 to 40 players in the last two years have gone onto play at major Division I schools.

"More than half the kids who play here wind up playing at the college level so it's a pretty good representation of kids," Amedio said.

Amedio says the most common feedback the GymRat challenge receives is about how well-organized it is with the amount of teams and athletes involved.

"People say it's just a well-run event, the games go off on time, we get pretty good officials and the kids are treated really well when they're here," he said. "A lot goes into it, just seeing how well-organized it is, it's a big thing for these teams to come here," he added.

The Tournament currently has a waiting list of about 100 programs that couldn't fit into this year's schedule.

"It's just grown every year, when people have learned about it, attendance has really gone up drastically," Amedio said.